There were 15 committee meetings, one in Auckland and 14 in the parliamentary complex.Select Committee Business

From 24 November to 28 November 2014

Committee meetings

There were 15 committee meetings, one in Auckland and 14 in the parliamentary complex.

Reports presented

Finance and Expenditure

• International treaty examination of the Second Protocol to the Convention Between New Zealand and Canada for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income

• Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Public Entities’ Progress in Implementing the Auditor-General’s Recommendations 2014

• Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, State-owned Enterprises: Results of the 2012/13 Audits

• Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, The Auditor-General’s Strategic Intentions 2014/15 to 2017/18 and Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Annual Plan 2014/15

Bills referred to select committees

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

• Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill (1-1)

Changes in committee membership

Commerce

• Dr David Clark replaced Hon Clayton Cosgrove

Education and Science

• Hon David Cunliffe replaced Kelvin Davis

• Jenny Salesa replaced Dr Megan Woods

Finance and Expenditure

• Hon Clayton Cosgrove replaced Hon David Parker

• Stuart Nash replaced Dr David Clark

Justice and Electoral

• Jacinda Ardern replaced Andrew Little

• Peeni Henare replaced Stuart Nash

Law and Order

• Kelvin Davis replaced Jenny Salesa

• Hon Phil Goff replaced Jacinda Ardern

Local Government and Environment

• Dr Megan Woods replaced Carmel Sepuloni

Regulations Review

• Hon David Parker replaced Andrew Little

Social Services

• Carmel Sepuloni replaced Sue Moroney

Transport and Industrial Relations

• Sue Moroney replaced Peeni Henare

Committee notes

Commerce

The committee did not meet this week.

The Chairperson of the committee has called for submissions on the Standards and Accreditation Bill, with a closing date of 15 January 2015. The bill can be viewed, and submissions can be made, on the Parliament website.

The committee will next meet on 4 December 2014.

Education and Science

The committee met this week on 26 November and will meet next week on 3 December.

Finance and Expenditure

The committee met on 26 November 2014 to consider a number of reports of the Office of the Controller and Auditor-General. The committee also considered the 2013/14 annual reviews.

The committee will next meet on 3 November 2014 to consider the 2013/14 annual reviews.

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade

The committee met on 26, 27 and 28 November 2014 to consider and hear evidence on the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill.

The committee will meet again on Saturday 29 November 2014 to continue to hear evidence, and on 1 December 2014 to conclude consideration.

Government Administration

The committee did not meet this week.

The committee will next meet on 3 November.

Health

The committee met on 26 November to hear evidence on Petition 2011/104 of Jane Bruning and 24 others. It also made a call for public submissions on the Health (Protection) Amendment Bill, with the closing date of 13 February 2015.

The committee will meet next week.

Justice and Electoral

This week the committee considered the Report from the Controller and Auditor-General, Challenges Facing Licensing Trusts, and the Inquiry into the 2014 general election.

The committee will meet next week to hear evidence on the report of the Controller and Auditor-General, Challenges Facing Licensing Trusts. It will also consider the 2013/14 Annual reviews.

Law and Order

The committee met on 26 November 2014 to hear evidence on the briefing on information sharing between the civil courts and the New Zealand Parole Board. It also considered the petitions of Ann Hodgetts and 744 others and Grace Haden and 121 others.

Next week the committee will meet to consider the petiton of Grace Haden and 121 others and the 2013/14 Annual reviews.

Local Government and Environment

The committee met on 27 November to consider the Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Bill and the Christchurch City Council (Rates Validation) Bill, to further consider the Building (Earthquake-prone Buildings) Amendment Bill, the Environmental Reporting Bill, and the Manukau City Council (Regulation of Prostitution in Specified Places) Bill, and to consider Petition 2011/116 of Eugenie Sage.

The committee will next meet on 4 December.

Māori Affairs

The committee met this week to consider and hear evidence on the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill. It also considered the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill, the Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Bill, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Planning Committee Bill, the inquiry into the financial performance and current operations of the Māori Televsion Service for the financial year ending 30 June 2014 and the inquiry into the financial performance and current operations of the Māori Trustee for the financial year ending 31 March 2014.

The committee has extended the closing date for submissions on the Te Hiku Claims Settlement Bill, the Te Kawerau ā Maki Claims Settlement Bill, and the Hawke’s Bay Regional Planning Committee Bill. The closing date is now Friday, 30 January 2015 and submissions can be made online at parliament.nz.

The committee will be meeting next week to consider the Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill, the Waitangi National Trust Board Amendment Bill and the 2013/14 Annual reviews.

Primary Production

The committee met on 27 November to receive briefings from the Office of the Auditor-General, and the New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association. The committee also heard evidence on Petitions 2011/47 of Leona Plaisier on behalf of Save our Sounds, and 2011/68 of Jon Muller.

The committee will next meet on 4 December.

Regulations Review

The committee met this week to consider and deliberate the Subordinate Legislation (Confirmation and Validation) Bill (No 3), and hear evidence on the Complaint regarding Shipping (Charges) Amendment Regulations 2014 and Marine Safety Charges Amendment Regulations 2013. It will next meet on 4 December.

Social Services

The committee met on 26 November to consider its inquiry into the funding of specialist sexual violence social services, and the Social Assistance (Portability to Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau) Bill.

The committee will next meet on 3 December to consider the 2013/14 financial reviews of Housing New Zealand Corporation, the Ministry of Social Development, and the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board.

Transport and Industrial Relations

The committee met in Auckland on 24 November to consider and hear evidence on the Health and Safety Reform Bill. Submitters included the New Zealand Dairy Workers Union, Matariki Forests, Fletcher Building Ltd, Air New Zealand Ltd, Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd, and FIRST Union. The meeting was open to the public from 9.12am to 5.25pm, apart from suspensions for lunch and breaks.

The committee also met in Wellington on 27 November 2014, to consider the petitions of Malcom Eves, Iain Lees-Galloway, and Sean and Cody Roberts, and to consider and hear evidence on the Health and Safety Reform Bill. Submitters on the bill included the New Zealand Meat Workers and Related Trades Union Incorporated, the New Zealand School Trustees Association, the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association of New Zealand, Dairy NZ, the New Zealand Retailers Association, the Construction Safety Council of New Zealand, the Registered Master Builders Association, Todd Corporation, and the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association. The meeting was open to the public from 9.05am to 12:45pm.

The committee will next meet in Wellington on 1 December 2014 to consider and hear evidence on the Health and Safety Reform Bill. That meeting will be open to the public from approximately 9am to 1pm, and 2pm to 6pm. Submitters include Seafood New Zealand Limited, Deaf Aotearoa, ECANZ, The Salvation Army, the New Zealand Police Association, Trustpower Ltd, and Federated Farmers.

The committee will also meet in Wellington on 4 December, to continue to hear evidence on the bill. That meeting will be open to the public from approximately 9am until lunch time.

Closing dates for submissions

Committees are receiving submissions on the following items with the closing date shown: